Blogs are something that has remained quite mysterious to me
over the years. I have attempted to dabble in the art of blog writing a few times
throughout college and beyond, but each time I would get bored with it, run out
of topics to discuss, or simply get caught up in life and forget about writing.
After reading an article post on Copy Blogger’s website, I
understand now that the one of the biggest reasons I was an unsuccessful
blogger was because I was focusing on me! This quote petty much sums it up, “There’s nothing wrong with a healthy ego, but your blog really isn’t about you. It’s about your readers.”
So this week, I will be taking a looking at several blogs
that got the memo and are not simply writing about themselves (or not). I will examine
what type of blog it is (news, professional, semi-professional, recreational,
link sharing, or group), what its purpose is, what makes it unique and how it
reflects its brand. I will also look at what drives traffic to the blog, if it’s
a “successful” blog, if there are advertisers potential for advertisers, and
what I think is missing from the blog.
- This would be considered a semi-professional blog as they post generally just once a day or once every other day. It’s hard to tell how many contributors there are on this blog as no blog is “penned” by a certain person.
- The purpose of this blog is to showcase the latest offerings from the J. Crew brand and this is primarily done through photo sharing and very limited text. The text that does appear is generally quotes from the featured designer and/or a brief question and answer session with the designer.
- The most unique part of this blog is the fact that it’s primarily a photo blog; it’s even powered by Tumblr, which is known for their photo blogs. The blog does an incredible job at showcasing their designers and giving the consumer “sneak peaks” or “backstage looks” at how some of their favorite pieces of clothing come to life.
- This blog reflects the J. Crew brand accurately and effectively. Starting with the easy to follow and eye catching layout, the blog embodies J. Crew’s easy going and polished relaxed feel of their brand and stores. By featuring designers and new pieces of clothing, it allows their followers to build a better relationship with the brand as a whole, as well as very specific aspects of the brand (i.e. shoes, accessories, sweaters, etc.).
- The best way to find the J. Crew blog is through their website. There is a link to the blog at the very top of the site; right next to their various departs (men, women, girls, boys, etc.). When J. Crew is typed into Google, the blog is not one of the first links to populate; in fact, it’s nearly at the bottom of the search results.
- By most accounts, I would say this is a relatively successful blog. I think that it’s geared toward a very specific, fashion focused reader and therefore may be missing out on potential followers. For the casual shopper or J. Crew browser, the blog might be a little too intimidating as it focuses on the details of fashion creation. However, for those that love the industry or have a passion for fashion, it’s a great place to look around and learn from professionals. Also, the blog allows its readers to follow the brand on their various social media platforms through widgets and social sharing buttons as well as making the blog itself easy to follow (i.e. “Follow Me” button in the bottom right corner of the page, even as you scroll).
- The one piece missing from this blog is the ability to find it! Even though it’s a very specific audience they seem to be playing to, pushing their blog content more could be a way to expand their audience and gain new followers (and eventually customers).
- There are no advertisements on this blog and there really doesn’t need to be, in my opinion. It’s a blog for a specific brand and advertising another brand might confuse the follower. The only way to advertise on a blog like this would be to showcase brands that are not in direct competition with J. Crew (maybe a make-up line or hair products).
Starbucks Blog
- Even though this is a HUGE brand, I would have to say that their blog type is actually rather recreational. Their content is produced very sporadically and really isn’t characterized into one specific cause or purpose.
- It seems that the random posting on the Starbucks blog is centered on their philanthropic efforts and their community involvement.
- The most unique part of this blog would be the style of their blog posts. Each post (albeit small in quantity) generally tackles a social issue of some sort and incorporates photos, links, or videos to drive the message home. The latest post is actually an open letter to customers from the CEO talking about certain customer policies and what the “vision” of Starbucks really is.
- The blog is the same layout of their actual website, so it’s easy to navigate and consistent with their overall branding scheme. We all know Starbucks to be a very community centered and environmentally involved company and their blog is an extension of these values.
- To be completely honest, I have no idea how this blog attracts readers (or if it really even does at all). The blog does not appear anywhere on their website or social media outlets and it is not one of the options when Starbucks is searched on Google. The only way to find the blog is to either type “blog” into the search engine on the Starbucks site or to type “Starbucks blog” into a global search engine (i.e. Google).
- By all accounts, I would consider this an unsuccessful blog. It is virtually impossible to even find the blog and once you are there, the quantity of posts is quite disappointing. While there are options to socially share the content on the blog, quite frankly, it’s not really worth sharing.
- There are no advertisers on this blog and the only real potential would, again, be brands that are not directly competing with the Starbucks brand. Possibly the artists that Starbucks showcases could buy a bit of promotional ad space or even earth-friendly merchandise brands would fit nicely. However, without better marketing of the actual blog, no advertiser should spend their precious budget on a blog that posts maybe once a month.
Perez Hilton
- This would be considered a news blog as it reports the latest and greatest in celebrity and pop culture information. It is maintained by a team of writers even though Perez Hilton himself is the main face of the blog and the person followers connect with.
- The purpose of this blog is to provide the most up to date and exclusive celebrity news to their followers, all done with a snarky and humorous tone.
- Perez Hilton himself is what really makes this blog unique. He is a hilarious, crude, and smart-mouthed person and his blog is nothing short of the exact same thing. Each post generally contains a photo that his team has drawn terribly inappropriate or absolutely hilarious remarks/art work on that further increases the hilarity of the post.
- As previously stated, Perez Hilton himself is a terribly inappropriate and crude man, and his blog site is a true and honest reflection of himself.
- Just by typing in “celebrity gossip” into Google, Perez Hilton is the first link that appears. His take on pop culture and the “paparazzi” lifestyle is extremely well known and quite trusted (as crazy as it may seem).
- This is a very successful blog, all across the boards. While there is no way to “measure” the amount of followers on this blog, Perez Hilton does have more than six million followers on Twitter! His blog allows for easy social sharing with buttons on the bottom of every single post and he utilizes his Twitter account to drive traffic back to his website by posting teasers coupled with links to his site. There are multiple stories posted daily (even hourly) on his blog, so there is never a shortage of fresh and “hot” topics.
- Perez Hilton does a great job of utilizing advertisements on his page. Occasionally, the entire background will be promoting a brand, movie, or event. Currently, the entire top banner of the page is promoting the Emmy awards. Also, towards the bottom of the site, you can find various clothing, shoe, and accessory brand advertisements.
- This would be considered a semi-professional blog simply because there are not multiple posts per day. However, there is at least one post every day or every other day. There is also only “one” contributor to the blog, Korri.
- The purpose of this blog is to showcase real life weddings at the Walt Disney World Resort, as well as share unique stories, adorable photos, new and fresh ideas, and of course, yummy Wedding Cake Wednesdays!
- What makes this blog unique is their ability to weave incredible storytelling together with beautiful photos and real life stories. Disney is known for impeccable storytelling, and this blog is absolutely no exception. I would be lying if I said I didn’t cry nearly every time I read a new “Real Wedding Spotlight” post.
- The Ever After Blog reflects the Disney brand by being true to the art of storytelling, like I mentioned above. It also continues the rich “personal” tradition of the company by showcasing real life events and including real names. Disney is a “first name company” and theses blog posts include that same principle, allowing readers to follow along and truly feel like a part of the couple’s journey.
- This is absolutely a successful blog. It can easily be found on the Disney Weddings website as well as when searching Disney Weddings on Google. There is a social media widget on the blog so you can easily connect with other Disney Wedding social platforms, as well as social sharing buttons at the bottom of every post. Another unique piece of “sharing” is the “Love It” option attached to every photo posted on the blog (and website). This feature allows the reader to essentially “pin” a photo to the Disney Weddings version of a Pinterest board, called a Dream Board.
- Of course I’m pretty biased toward s this particular blog and I really don’t see anything missing! If I could, I would allow the photos to be “pinned” to a Pinterest board and not just the person’s Dream Board. I see what we are trying to do in this case, keep the traffic on our specific site, but it could be a way of spreading our brand to followers that might not visit the Disney Weddings website.
- There are no advertisers on this blog and there really isn’t a place for them here. This is intended to be a clean and worry free space for followers to dream, create, and get inspired. Plus, when planning a Disney wedding, all of the details are taken care of for you. So, having catering companies, floral designers, or DJs advertising on this blog would not make any sense.
Caleb’s Heart
- This is a recreational blog written by a family friend from home. The posts are not always posted on a consistent basis but they are all generally centered on one topic, Caleb.
- The purpose of this blog is to communicate to family, friends, and followers the daily/weekly progress of Caleb. Caleb was born with a congenital heart defect and was placed in the hospital on a heart transplant list nearly a year ago. Caleb’s mom, Katie, maintains the blog and keeps everyone updated on the latest visits from doctors, the newest information regarding Caleb’s overall health, prayer requests and needs, and the well-being of her husband and their other son, Jonah.
- What makes this blog unique is the honesty and truth in Katie’s writing. Through the past year, we have been able to experience the highs and lows of their journey through Katie’s writing. She doesn’t sugar coat things and when she needs our prayers, she’s not afraid to ask for them. Their entire family has developed an incredibly positive outlook on their situation, and it’s refreshing to read about how great everyone is doing in the midst of pain and challenge.
- While there is no real “brand” in this case, Katie’s writing truly reflects her and her family’s outlook on life and their approach to handling tough situation. It’s a breath of fresh air reading about Caleb having a great day and it’s heart breaking to read about Jonah missing his brother’s company at home. Katie does a wonderful job of making us all feel like part of the family through her writing and allows us to personally connect with them, even when we are thousands of miles apart.
- Katie and her family and friends do a great job of posting a link to the blog each time a new story is posted. Although only 144 people actually “follow” the blog, through Facebook and Twitter sharing, countless more have the opportunity to read about and experience this family’s journey.
- For what this blog is trying to accomplish, I would consider it to be very successful. Katie posts real and honest updates on a fairly regular basis and the content is shared all over Facebook and Twitter. There are social share buttons on the bottom of each post, so it’s simple to spread the word and get more people reading.
- Since this is a relatively personal blog, I wouldn’t change anything that Katie is doing. Like I said, the blog is serving its purpose of keeping friends, family, and followers updated and in the loop. For that same reason, there are no advertisers on this site, nor does there need to be. This blog is being used simply as a common communication tool to share stories with those would like to read.
{Let's Make A Connection}
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